[Bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis]

[Progress of Bevacizumab in Malignant Pleural Effusion Caused by Non-small Cell Lung Cancer]

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) caused by advanced lung cancer seriously affect the patients' quality of life and prognosis. The management of MPE includes thoracentesis, pleurodesis, indwelling pleural catheters and drug perfusion in pleural cavity. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor are a group of important ligands and receptors that affect angiogenesis. They are the main factors controlling angiogenesis, and they play an important role in the formation of MPE. Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized VEGF monoclonal antibody, competitively binding to endogenous VEGF receptor. Bevacizumab can inhibit new blood vessel formation, reduce vascular permeability, prevent pleural effusion accumulation and slow the growth of cancers. This review aims to discuss the progress of bevacizumab in the treatment of MPE caused by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and explore the clinical application, efficacy, safety and future direction of bevacizumab.
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[Intercalated Combination of Chemotherapy and EGFR-TKIs versus Chemotherapy Alone in the First-line Treatment of Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-analysis]

背景与目的

化疗与表皮生长因子受体酪氨酸激酶抑制剂(epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, EGFR-TKIs)联合疗法一直是许多研究的焦点，其中间插联合疗法受到了更多研究者的关注。本研究旨在系统评价化疗与EGFR-TKIs间插联合疗法对比单独化疗一线治疗晚期非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC)的有效性及安全性。

方法

检索The Cochrane Library、PubMed、EMBASE、中国生物医学文献数据库(CBM)、知网和万方等数据库关于化疗间插联合EGFR-TKIs疗法和单独化疗一线治疗晚期NSCLC的随机对照试验(randomized controlled trial, RCT)，分析如下结局指标：无进展生存期(progression-free survival, PFS)、总体生存期(overall survival, OS)、客观缓解率(objective response rate, ORR)、疾病控制率(disease control rate, DCR)以及不良反应发生率。由两名研究者根据Cochrane系统评价手册筛选文献、进行质量评价以及提取并交叉核对数据。应用Stata12.0软件进行meta分析。

结果

本研究共纳入6个RCT，共计933例晚期NSCLC患者。Meta分析结果表明，在晚期NSCLC患者一线治疗中，与单独化疗相比，间插联合疗法虽然延长了患者的PFS(HR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.53-0.98, P=0.037)，但并不能提高其OS(HR=0.85, 95%CI: 0.72-1.01, P=0.060)、ORR(OR=1.59, 95%CI: 0.86-2.95, P=0.142)和DCR(OR=1.09, 95%CI: 0.95-1.25, P=0.226)。进一步的亚组分析发现，间插联合疗法提高了女性、腺癌、从不吸烟和EGFR突变等患者的PFS，差异具有统计学意义。在安全性方面，间插联合疗法的主要不良反应为皮疹(OR=7.81, 95%CI: 3.74-16.34, P < 0.001)和腹泻(OR=2.73, 95%CI: 1.92-3.89, P < 0.001)。

结论

一线接受化疗间插联合EGFR-TKIs治疗的NSCLC患者的PFS明显高于接受单独化疗者，其主要不良事件是皮疹和腹泻。因此，间插联合治疗具有一定优势，但仍需要更多大样本、高质量的RCT进一步验证。

Efficacy and safety of chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with bevacizumab versus chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors alone in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with bevacizumab versus chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors alone in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The PubMed/MEDLINE, Ovid, Web of Science, CNKI, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for eligible randomized controlled trials comparing the combination of chemotherapy or epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) with bevacizumab to chemotherapy or EGFR-TKI alone. Main outcome measures were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse effects. The pooled data were analyzed by STATA 12.0 and expressed as hazard ratio (HR) or risk ratio (RR), with their corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI). Nine eligible trials comprising 3,547 patients (1,779 for bevacizumab and 1,768 for controls) were included in the study. Chemotherapy or TKIs in combination with bevacizumab significantly prolonged PFS (HRpfs 0.72, 95 % CIpfs 0.66-0.79, P pfs < 0.001) and OS (HRos 0.90, 95 % CIos 0.82-0.99, P os = 0.029) as first-line treatment for NSCLC compared with chemotherapy or TKIs alone. Bevacizumab combination regimens significantly prolonged PFS (HR 0.62, 95 % CI 0.52-0.74, P < 0.001) as second-line treatment; however, no benefit regarding OS was observed with the addition of bevacizumab (HR 0.94, 95 % CI 0.78-1.12, P = 0.479). The bevacizumab group showed increased ORR in both first- and second-line treatments. The high-dose bevacizumab subgroup in combination with chemotherapy showed a statistically significant improvement in OS, PFS, and ORR (HRos 0.89, 95 % CIos 0.80-0.99, P os 0.037; HRpfs 0.71, 95 % CIpfs 0.64-0.79, P pfs < 0.01, RRorr 1.85, 95 % CIorr 1.59-2.15, P orr < 0.001, respectively); however, the low-dose bevacizumab subgroup did not show enhanced OS (HRos 0.91, 95 % CIos 0.77-1.07, P os = 0.263), and a moderate improvement of PFS and ORR (HRpfs 0.85, 95 % CIpfs 0.72-1.00, P pfs = 0.049; RRorr 1.60, 95 % CIorr 1.28-2.0, P orr < 0.001). Erlotinib in combination with bevacizumab significantly prolonged PFS (HR 0.60, P < 0.001, 95 % CI 0.51-0.71) and increased ORR (RR 1.21, 95 % CI 0.98-1.49, P = 0.067) compared with erlotinib alone. A higher incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events such as proteinuria, hypertension, and hemorrhage was observed in the bevacizumab combination group than in the control group without bevacizumab (P all < 0.05). The addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy or erlotinib can significantly improve PFS and ORR both in first- and second-line treatments of advanced NSCLC, with an acceptable risk of bleeding events, hypertension, proteinuria, and rash. Combination therapy with bevacizumab and chemotherapy is beneficial regarding OS; however, whether bevacizumab plus erlotinib can prolong OS need further validation.